Universal wireless remote control for welding apparatus in harsh environments

ABSTRACT

A system and method for wirelessly controlling, monitoring, and updating various welding parameters from a remote device using a single remote control. The remote does not need to have the software to communicate with the welding-type system prior to initiating communications with the welding-type system. Rather, the welding-type system can provide a code download to the remote to perform an over-the-air programming of the remote to configure the remote to control the welding-type system.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S.Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 15/983,319, entitled“Universal Wireless Remote Control For Welding Apparatus in HarshEnvironments,” filed May 18, 2018, which claims priority to and is acontinuation of, U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.14/064,690 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,993,890), entitled “System and Methodfor Data Exchange and Control with a Wireless Remote Control for WeldingSystems,” having a filing date of Oct. 28, 2013, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The field of the invention relates to systems and methods communicatingwith welding-type devices. More particularly, the invention relates to asystem and method for wirelessly identifying, monitoring, andcontrolling remote welding-type devices.

Welding, heating, and cutting are essential operations in many differentareas of manufacturing and construction in today's economy. Theversatility and efficiency of welding, induction heating, and cuttingsystems (hereinafter, welding-type systems) is vital to, and allows for,the efficient completion of many complex and dynamic welding operations.In many welding, induction heating, and cutting processes performed byoperators, welding-type systems are adjusted during the process toaccommodate several different welding-type and related operations. Whenthe need for such adjustments arise, the parameters in the welding-typesystem need to be properly set for each different welding-type process.In each of these processes, parameters need to be set and adjusted priorto and during the welding-type process. In many instances, thewelding-type process takes place at a distance from the systems thatdrive the process, such as the power source and other components. Thus,an operator is required to walk back to the machine to make anynecessary adjustments. To overcome this problem, some welding-typesystems have started to incorporate some form of remote control. In manyexisting systems, power and communications between an operator locationand a welding-type power source location are transmitted over cables.These cables provide a simple and reliable means for communication andcontrol of various operational and control parameters.

Despite the benefits of such a set-up, there are also numerous drawbacksassociated with communication and control of the welding-type system insuch a manner. One drawback to this cable-based control is that thecommunications cable is typically fragile relative to the welding cablesdesigned to carry high currents at high voltages. Welding-type systemsare often used at sites where systems need to be periodically relocatedor surrounded by other mobile heavy equipment operating in the samearea. As such, the remote control communications cable can becomedamaged by being crushed or snagged from contact with surroundingmachines and/or traffic. This can cause damage to the welding-type powersource through the internal power conductors and sensitive signal levelcircuitry. Even if no permanent damage is experienced, such occurrencesobviously reduce productivity.

Communications cables for remote control of a welding device alsoproduce additional concerns. One of these concerns is the introductionof high frequency electrical noise to the welding-type system in theenvironment surrounding the communications cable. The communicationscable provides a conduit for the noise to enter the power source andcontroller of the welding-type system. Additionally, the introduction ofcurrent mode interference in the environment surrounding thecommunications cable can impede communication. This noise andinterference must be filtered out so as not to negatively affect theperformance of the system.

Because of the numerous drawbacks associated with communication cablesfor remote control of a welding-type system, attempts have been tomodify the manner of communication in newer systems. Various types ofremote control devices have been introduced to facilitate operatorcontrol of the welding-type processes thru a means other than just astandard communications cable. For example, wireless communications haveimplemented into welding-type systems to allow operators to monitor andcontrol the system. However, these wireless connections typicallyrequire proprietary wireless terminal devices having different userinterfaces depending on the different models of welders or powersupplies. In addition, conventional wireless connections to welding-typesystems only allow for control of the welding device, and typically aseparate remote device is required for the different models of weldersor power supplies in the welding-type system.

Another challenge facing welding-type systems relates to maintenance.Welders are often maintained and serviced according to proceduresimplemented by operators of the welding-type systems. Although someoperators may adequately service and maintain these systems, quality ofthe service and maintenance is often up to the training and competenceof the individual operator. Thus, a large collection of well-maintainedwelders servicing an overall assembly process may be at the mercy ofanother welding system that is less-adequately serviced or maintained.This may cause the process to stop or be disrupted during serviceoutages relating to a less maintained welding-type system. Even underthe best of circumstances, however, given that many welding systems areoperating in an isolated manner, diagnostic information relating to thehealth of these systems is often not reported or discovered until aftera breakdown occurs.

Therefore, a need still remains for a controlling, identifying,monitoring, and updating all aspects of a welding operation in a mannerthat is practical and efficient for an operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks byproviding a welding-type system capable of wirelessly controlling,monitoring, and updating various welding parameters from a remote deviceusing a single remote control. The remote does not need to have thesoftware to communicate with the welding-type system prior to initiatingcommunications with the welding-type system. Rather, the welding-typesystem can provide a code download to the remote to perform anover-the-air programming of the remote to configure the remote tocontrol the welding-type system.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a welding-type system isdisclosed that includes a power source having a controller to regulatewelding operations for at least one welders and a wireless communicationsystem configured to receive a wireless signal and provide the wirelesssignal to the controller for controlling the at least one welderaccording to at least one operational parameter indicated by thewireless signal. The system also includes a pairing apparatus coupled tothe wireless communication system and configured to identify a wirelessremote control capable of communicating with the wireless communicationsystem and identify the wireless remote control as being in anup-programmed state by communicating with the wireless remote controlover the wireless communication system. The apparatus is furtherconfigured to initiate a code download to the wireless remote controlusing an over-the-air programming protocol when the wireless remotecontrol is in an unprogrammed state to configure the wireless remotecontrol to select the at least one operational parameter and communicatethe at least one operational parameter using the wireless signal to thecontroller.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method forremotely controlling a welding-type system is disclosed that includesproviding a power source having a controller for regulating weldingoperations for a plurality of welders and transmitting a wireless signalfrom a wireless remote control to the controller to control at least oneof a plurality of welding parameters in the plurality of welders. Themethod also includes receiving the wireless signal to allow thecontroller to communicate with the wireless remote control, pairing thewireless remote control to the controller via a radio apparatusinstalled on the wireless remote control, and accessing and regulatingat least one of the plurality of welding parameters of at least one ofthe plurality of welders via the radio apparatus of the wireless remotecontrol.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a remote controlsystem for communicating with a welding-type system is disclosed thatincludes a wireless communication system configured to send and receivea wireless signal with at least one of a plurality of welding-typesystems and a memory having at least a boot loader stored thereon. Thesystem also includes a processor configured to communicate with at leastone of a plurality of welding-type systems using the wirelesscommunication system to indicate an indentify of the wireless remotecontrol and receive a code download from the at least one of a pluralityof welding-type systems. The processor is further configured to installthe code download using at least the boot loader to configure thewireless remote control to communicate at least one operationalparameter to the at least one of a plurality of welding-type systems.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method forremotely controlling a welding-type system, the method is disclosed thatincludes providing a wireless remote control having an antenna systemconfigured to communicate with a plurality of welders and identifying atleast one of the plurality of welders. The method also includesdetermining whether software for communicating with the at least one ofthe plurality of welders is present in a memory of the wireless remotecontrol and, upon determining that software for communicating with theat least one of the plurality of welders is not present in a memory ofthe wireless remote control, receiving a code download from the at leastone of the plurality of welders. The method further includes installingthe code download received from the at least one of the plurality ofwelders and, using the code download installed on the remote control,controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of welders.

The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description. In the description, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in whichthere is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of theinvention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scopeof the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claimsand herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a welding-type system and remote controlcommunication type system for controlling a welding-type deviceaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of multiple power supplies for thewelding-type system of FIG. 1 to implement the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an industrial fabrication facilityincluding multiple welders to implement the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart setting forth the steps of processes for pairinga terminal device to the welding-type system in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are views of a wireless remote control to be used withthe welding-type system of FIG. 1 in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the interaction of the wireless remotecontrol components.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart setting for the steps of processes for pairingthe wireless remote control of FIG. 2 with the welding-type system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8A-C is a diagram illustrating an adapter board connector for thewireless remote control in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring particularly now to FIG. 1 , a host, for example, awelding-type system 10 capable of performing various types of operationsis shown. FIG. 1 also shows a terminal device system 12 for accessingand controlling a welding-type device. The welding-type system 10 ismerely representative of a wide variety of welding-type machines havingvarious sizes, features, and ratings. The welding-type system 10, ascontemplated herein, can be configured to not only perform standardwelding type operations such as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, metalinert gas (MIG) welding, and/or stick welding, but can also be capableof performing various cutting operations that are closely associatedwith the various welding procedures, such as plasma cutting andinduction heating, for example. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 ,the welding-type system 10 shown is a TIG welding system, however, oneskilled in the art will readily appreciate that it may be any relatedwelding or cutting system, including those listed above. The TIGwelding-type system 10 includes a power source 16 to condition raw powerand generate a power signal suitable for welding applications. The powersource 16 includes a processor/controller 14 that receives operationalfeedback and monitors the operation of TIG welding-type system 10. Thepower source 16 may be, for example, a Trailblazer 325 EFI. Trailblazeris a registered trademark of Illinois Tool Works Inc. Corporation ofGlenview, Ill. Connected to the power source 16 is a torch 18 via acable 20. The cable 20 provides the torch 18 with power and compressedair or gas, where needed. The torch 18 includes a handle portion 22, ortorch body, having a trigger 24 thereon to actuate the torch 18 and worktip 26 extending therefrom.

Also connected to power source 16 is a work clamp 28 which is designedto connect to a workpiece (not shown) to be welded. Connecting the workclamp 28 to the power source 16 is a cable 30 designed to complete thewelding circuit with the torch 18 through the workpiece and the workclamp 28. The power source 16 may be designed to be connected to atransmission line power receptacle (not shown) or may be designed as anengine-driver welding system. In the latter case, the engine may beintegrated within a housing 32 of the power source 16 or may be within aseparate housing (not shown) and connected to the power source 16.

As mentioned, the terminal device 12 is available to be paired with aradio apparatus 40 coupled with the power source 16 to set and adjustoperational parameters, as well as send and receive software updates toand from the welding-type system 10. In one example, the radio apparatus40 may be an externally-mounted radio apparatus 40 a designed to bedisposed on the outside of the housing 32 of the power source 16. Thisconfiguration may be advantageous for maximizing range and reception.Alternatively, the radio apparatus 40 may be an internally-mounted radioapparatus 40 b designed to be disposed inside the housing 32 of thepower source 16. This configuration provides advantages of protectingthe radio-apparatus 40 using the housing 32 of the power source 16. Theradio apparatus 40 is capable of operating as a Wireless Communicationterminal (WCT) so that the terminal device 12 can be paired with thewelding-type system. Various communication protocols, systems, andhardware can be used to wirelessly transmit communicate using the radioapparatus 40.

The terminal device 12 can communicate with the controller 14 via theWCT 40. The WCT 40 may be configured to receive and relay wirelesssignals from the terminal device 12 to the controller 14 to process thereceived wireless data. The controller 14 is further operativelyconnected to the power source 16, and in this manner, the terminaldevice 12 may configure, monitor, and/or control operation of thewelding-type system 10. In one embodiment of the present invention, andas shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of welding-type power sources 42 mayinclude the radio apparatus 40 so that the terminal device 12 can bepaired with more than one welding-type system 10.

In one embodiment, radio control (RC) signals from the radio apparatus40 are used. In particular, the radio apparatus 40 may be configured tooperate using WiFi protocols. In this regard, the WCT may use an 802.11Xwireless protocol, for example, to provide a bridge between wireless802.11X devices and a local area network (LAN). As such, the WCT mayalso be referred to as a wireless access point (WAP). However, otherwireless communication systems and methods can include, but are notlimited to, radio frequency (RF) such as ZigBee protocols, Bluetoothprotocols, cellular protocols, proprietary protocols, and the like. Moreparticularly, the wireless communication systems and methods can includeBluetooth Low Power (BLE) (i.e., BT 4.0), cellular digital packet data,high speed circuit switched data, packet data cellular, general packetradio service, radio transmission technology, Bluetooth, IRDA,multi-channel multipoint distribution service, local multipointdistribution service, WiMAX, 802.11 WiFi, infrared, UHF, VHF, RIM, andothers.

If an 802.11X based radio apparatus 40 is used, for example, as awireless transmitter, proprietary wireless terminal devices are notrequired. Rather, any WiFi enabled terminal device 12, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or specialized remote as shown in FIG. 1 , may beused to connect to a webpage served by the WCT 40 to effect filetransfers or remote welding-type system 10 setup and control and morethan one terminal device 12 may connect simultaneously, if soconfigured. Similarly, if a Bluetooth (for example, 802.15.1) basedradio apparatus 40 is used, for example, as a wireless transmitter anyBluetooth enabled terminal device 12, such as a smart phone, tablet,laptop, or specialized remote may be used to connect to the webpageserved by the WCT 40 to effect file transfers or remote welding-typesystem 10 setup and control. However, in the case of a Bluetooth basedradio apparatus 40, for example, pairing of the terminal device 12 maybe required and the system may or may not allow more than one terminaldevice 12 to connect to the webpage simultaneously.

The operation of the WCT 40 is not restricted to operating in aparticular manner, such as to provide access to a network originated bythe WCT 40. For example, the WCT 40 could also be operated to cause thewelding-type system 10 to connect to an existing local area network.Such would take place, for example, in a plant 300, as shown in FIG. 3 ,with WCTs installed, or, if a WiFi hotspot, as in a smart phone, wereavailable. In addition, the wireless communication provides a viablealternative to cabled connections, such as USB cable connection orSerial data port connection using a wired cable connection, from thewelding-type system 10 to the terminal devices 12. It is recognized thatthe mode of communication selected will depend on the specific needs ofthe welding-type process and on the environment in which the process isbeing performed in.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , a flow chart setting forth exemplary steps 100for using a terminal device with a power source of a welding-typesystem, such as the system 10 of FIG. 1 , is provided. To start theprocess, a user may enable the communication on the terminal device asshown at process block 102. The communication on the welding-type systemis enabled through a radio apparatus that is capable of serving wirelesscommunication, also shown at process block 102. For example, in the caseof the radio apparatus enabling the system to operate as a WCT, otherterminal devices 12 (e.g., other device configured for wirelesscommunication) can join/pair to it, as shown at process block 104. Aswill be appreciated, the connecting/pairing of the terminal device andwelding-type system may take any of a variety of forms, depending uponthe underlying wireless communications protocol being employed and thedesired security procedures employed.

The welding-type system may be configured to provide a communicationsportal to the terminal device, as shown at process block. For examplethe welding-type system may provide a user interface for the terminaldevice 106, such as by providing a hyper-text markup language(HTML)-based interface. However, as will be described further below, thewelding-type system may provide operational software for communicatingwith and/or controlling the welding-type system.

At process blocks 108 and 110, the welding-type system and the terminaldevice may exchange status information. For example, the status ofwhether the terminal device may indicate to the welding-type systemwhether the terminal device needs any software upgrades or updates forfurther communications or interactions. As will be described in detailbelow, the welding-type system may provide software, firmware, and/orupdates to the terminal device to configure the terminal device forfurther communications/interactions.

For example, the welding-type system may send/push, via the WCT, anynecessary software or firmware upgrades, updates, and features to theterminal device to facilitate communication with and/or control of thewelding-type system. In this regard, the welding-type system may storeand maintain basic software or firmware necessary to communicate withand/or control the welding-type system and this software or firmware maybe pushed, as necessary, to a terminal device. In this way, the terminaldevice does not need to be specially configured or adapted to, or eveninclude requisite software to, communicate and/or control thewelding-type system. Rather, the terminal device, particularly in thecase of a specialized or proprietary remote control, such as will bedescribed with respect to FIGS. 5A and 5B, may have only basic softwareor firmware necessary to initiate connections to welding-type devices,such as to access and receive an interface, for example and HTML basedinterface, at process block 104. Thereafter, the terminal device mayreceive from a given welding-type device, the software or firmwarenecessary to facilitate further communications and/or control.Accordingly, a single terminal device may be used to communicate withany of a variety of welding-type systems. The terminal device does notneed to be preconfigured or specially adapted to communicate with aparticular welding-type system. Rather, a user can utilize one terminaldevice as a remote control or remote monitor for communicating with anyof a variety of welding-type systems without pre-adapting the terminaldevice for each welding-type system.

The software or firmware received from the welding-type system mayenable the terminal device to adapt configurations and weld programs,profiles, locks and limits of the welding-type system and power source.In addition, the terminal device may send/push, via the WCT, anynecessary software or firmware upgrades, updates, and features from aremote file server (not shown) to the welding-type system.

The status data, as represented by block 114, provided by thewelding-type system can include, but is not limited to, weld processmode (e.g., MIG, TIG, and/or stick), amperage and voltage, arc control,polarity, engine start/stop, engine status (e.g., on, off, auto-speed),engine speed, engine fuel level, engine hours/oil change interval,engine diagnostics, advanced engine diagnostics, location of powersource (e.g., via beeper and/or lights), weld presets, battery status,error codes, and data from current and past welding sessions.

These are just a few examples. The WCT may also be connected tooperation status sensors (not shown). A power sensor, for example, maybe employed to notify whether a welding-type device is “on” or “off,whether the torch 18 or gun is operating or not, current batterylevel(s), and other operational conditions derived from sensed powerlevels. In addition, the WCT may be connected to component fault sensors(not shown). A number of sensors may be employed, each sensor beingindividually configured to detect an operational error in a particularcomponent of a welding-type device. The processor of the welding-typesystem or the terminal device may record summaries of the time oroperating conditions under which errors occur onto data storage unit(not shown), and/or prepare real-time component error messages as soonas errors occur. Furthermore, other sensors may be used to detectcurrent device resources, such as the amount of consumable wireremaining, the amount of remaining shielding gas, which accessories areattached to the device, and whether the accessories are compatible withthe device's system type. The processor of the welding-type system orterminal device can then calculate whether or when additional resourceswill be required based on recent usage data stored on data storage unit,or based upon predetermined minimum levels. Accordingly, summaries ofoperation status, continuous real-time operation status information, orautomatic notifications of current or imminent errors and requirementsmay be communicated, stored, and accessed.

Thus, the terminal device may download any of the status data 114 asshown at process block 116 of a single welding-type system 10 as shownin FIG. 1 , or from the plurality of power sources 42, as shown in FIG.2 . Notifications, such as e-mail or text message for example, of thestatus data 112 of the welding-type system may be sent to the terminaldevice. In an alternative embodiment, the status data 112 may be part ofan automated data collection process that connects to each of theprocessors 14 of the plurality of power sources 42 of FIG. 2 within itsrange to collect, record, report, and re-transmit to a web-based cloudor data server (not shown) and provide configuration of the plurality ofpower sources 42 through the same interface.

Referring back to FIG. 4 and with reference to FIG. 3 , the terminaldevice 12 may control and configure any one of the status data 114remotely, as shown at process block 118. As will be described, terminalmay be configured to provide a common interface for the user, allowingthem to use over the air programming to configure and control the statusdata 114 of a plurality of power sources. As one example, the terminaldevice 12 may use a find function provided by the interface in order toidentify a welding-type system 12 having an issue in the plurality ofpower sources 42. The find function on the interface could be initiatedby the user that would activate a beeper and/or lights 44, for example,on a particular welding-type system 10A having issues so the user caneasily identify the welding-type system within a larger environment 300.As another example, the terminal device 12 may use an engine ignitionmanagement function provided in order to remotely power down theparticular welding-type system 10A and put it in sleep mode. When thewelding-type system 10A is in sleep mode, it may be started againthrough the engine ignition management function on the terminal device12.

Once the terminal device 12 has sent and/or received the desired statusdata 114, the user may disable the wireless communication on theterminal device 12 or unpair the terminal device 12 from thewelding-type system 10, as shown at process block 120.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 a, 5 b , and 6, a wireless remote control 46 tobe used in the welding-type system 10 is shown. The wireless remotecontrol 46 includes a plurality of buttons 48 that are reconfigurable.As reconfigurable buttons 48, when pressed, the reconfigurable buttons48 can display anyone of the above-described status data. The wirelessremote control 46 may provide, for example, a hand-held,battery-operated, user-interface device that incorporates a varyingassortment of wireless radio interface standards (e.g., ISO-14443(RFID), IEEE802.il (WiFi in various speeds), IEEE802.15.4 (ZigBee)). Thewireless remote control 46 may include a graphic display 50, a keypad 52including the plurality of buttons 48, a radio apparatus 54, a centralprocessing unit 56, a flash memory 58, a battery pack 60, and areal-time clock 62. In construction, there may be four subassemblies ofthe wireless remote control 46 that include a host board 64, the radioapparatus 54, a lower case 66 with the battery pack 60, and a keypadprinted circuit board (PCB) 68. The host board 64 may include thecentral processing unit 56, the flash memory 58, the battery pack 60,and the graphic display 50. There are connectors to the keypad PCB 68,the radio apparatus 54, and the battery pack 60. The battery pack 60 maybe integral to the lower case 66 and includes of terminals and a fixtureto hold and make contact with, for example, two AA Alkaline batteries.

The graphic display 50 of the wireless remote control 46 may be, forexample, a quarter video graphics array (QVGA), full color back-lit LCDdisplay (e.g., a Santee ST0240Y3W-RSLW-F), a back-lit transflective LCDdisplay, or a custom display. Graphics data may be presented to thegraphic display 50 in a parallel word format, as shown in FIG. 5 b . Thebacklight scheme for the graphic display 50 may use multiple LEDs withcommon anodes and cathodes, for example. The common cathode signal ispresented to a transistor (not shown) that duty cycles the groundconnection to allow brightness control. A pulse-width modulation (PWM)circuit (not shown) effects both current limiting for the LED array andbrightness control by allowing the CPU 56 to perform a PWM control loop.The CPU 56 may have a commanded maximum brightness (user input) and mayuse a light sensor (not shown) to vary the PWM duty cycle based on theambient light. The CPU 56 operates the light sensor by applying a logic“High” to an input signal, which powers the circuit. An output signalmay then be measured by an ADC (not shown) in the CPU 56 and the numberis used in the PWM control loop.

As shown in FIGS. 5 a and 5 b , the keypad 52 can, for example, have theplurality of reconfigurable buttons 48 arranged in a six button array,arranged in three rows of two buttons per row. The plurality ofreconfigurable buttons 48 may be open circuited and have a nominal 3.0VDC potential, for example, on the un-grounded pad. Pressing one of theplurality of buttons 48 shorts that voltage to ground where it isdetected at the CPU 56 port for the button. The keypad 52 may be, forexample, a single layer PCB with a flexible etched polyamide cableconnecting the keypad 52 to the host board 64. The plurality of buttons48 may be a dome switch with the switch contacts on the thin keypad PCB68. The flexible cable and the dome switch patterns may be one boardwith a graphics polymer overlay (not shown) to hold the dome springs inplace. The keypad PCB 68 may also form the graphic display's 50 outerbezel and protective covering 70. Additionally, the reconfigurablebuttons 48 may be touch buttons having a display integrated therewith tobe readily adapted to having the symbols or displayed informationassociated with the buttons adjusted based on reconfigurations.

The radio apparatus 54 of the wireless remote control 46 may be acertified FCC modular transmitter, for example. In one exemplaryembodiment, the radio apparatus 54 may be a California Eastern Labs(CEL) model ZICM357SPO-1 IEEE 802.15.4 compliant radio with the EmberZigBee Pro Network software stack programmed into it, for example.Additionally, the radio apparatus 54 may have an internal antenna. Theradio apparatus 54 may only be tasked to provide network services, sothat there are no user applications programmed onto it. The radioapparatus 54 may connect to the host board 64 using a ‘universal’ 16 pininterface (not shown) that provides power and ground signals to theradio apparatus 54 along with a universal asynchronousreceiver/transmitter (UART) and a serial peripheral interface (SPI)serial port interface (not shown). Using the same mechanical outlinesand the same 16 pin connector the radio apparatus 54 may be a WiFi radioor a Bluetooth radio, for example in place of the ZigBee radio with theappropriate software changes to the host. Depending on the radioapparatus 54 used, the serial interface could be either a UART or an SPIport, or both.

The wireless remote control 46 may accept DC power from two AA cells(not shown) connected in series and uses two DC switching converters(not shown) to maintain approximately 3.0 volts over the whole life ofthe battery pack 60. A two wire pigtail from the battery compartmentconnects to the host board 64. The battery pack 60 interface uses ametal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) transistor inseries with the positive battery lead for reverse polarity protection.The circuit operates by allowing a small current to leak through theMOSFET body diode, which creates charge on the source. This charge maythen cause a reverse bias against the gate allowing battery current toflow from drain to source with a minimal voltage loss, dictated by a lowchannel resistance. If the battery pack 60 were connected in reversepolarity, the applied voltage becomes positive, which keeps the MOSFETOff, and thus the current from drain to source is in the nano-ampererange due to the reverse leakage current. A Si3495 (not shown), forexample, may be used to minimize the forward voltage drop across thepart. In theory, the drop on the transistor should be roughly 20 mV orless. There are two DC supplies (not shown) on the host board 64. Onesupply may be dedicated to the radio apparatus 54 and the other is foreverything else. The DC supply may be based on the Texas Instruments(TI) TPS61220DCK, for example.

Circuitry is provided to allow software to determine the percentage ofbattery life remaining in the battery pack 60. As the alkaline cells aredepleted, the effective battery source impedance rises. In effect, for agiven current drain, the source voltage is reduced on a weaker batterycompared to a fresh battery. A means to measure the actual batteryvoltage is placed on the host board 64. The two resistors used toprovide the low voltage detect function also provide a voltage dividerto an ADC internal to the CPU 56. This divided signal may be sent to theCPU 56 as known loads are placed on the battery pack 60 and measured.

The host board 64 supports over the air re-programming, as describedabove, and data collection using the flash memory 58. The flash memory58 may be a 32 MByte FLASH memory device, for example. Over the airre-programming operates by sending the appropriate target object fileover the radio apparatus 54, the ZigBee radio link for example. Theoperating code for a microcontroller (not shown), such as a MSP430 or anEM357, for example, can be loaded from the flash memory 58. This featureallows the wireless remote control 46 to be manufactured with one objectcode file for the microcontroller, but it can be re-programmed toacquire different mission profiles. Additionally, firmware updates maybe pushed onto the welding-type system 10 using this feature. Otheroperating modes are possible using the flash memory 58. For example, a“Thick Client” or “Thin Client” mode can be used. In a Thick Clientmode, all of the status data 112 is encoded and loaded onto the wirelessremote control 46. In a Thin Client mode, the wireless remote control 46operates as a terminal and all of the operating state machine code ishosted on the welding-type system 10 that hosts the ZigBee radio, forexample.

The real time clock 62 may be provided by a circuit (not shown) separatefrom the CPU 56. The real time clock 62 may operate from the CPU 56power supply, which will typically be between 2.1 and 3 VDC. In theevent of a brownout of power supply failure, such as when the batterypack 60 is being replaced, the wireless remote control 46 may operate ina sleep mode using a CR1025 Lithium coin cell battery, for example. Thewireless remote control 46 may communicate with the microcontroller witha three wire serial data interface (not show), for example.

In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless remote control 46 may bemanufactured with a boot loader as the only software installed.Additional information on an exemplary boot loader that may be includedin the wireless remote control 46 may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,849,826; 6,849,826; and 7,411,155, the entirety of each of which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein. With the 802.15.4 ZigBeeradio installed as the radio apparatus 54, the wireless remote control46 when it attempts to join/pair to a wireless equipped welding-typesystem 10, the welding-type system 10 will sense that the wirelessremote control 46 is either new (un-programmed) or that the wirelessremote control 46 lacks the correct programming to be used with thewelding-type system 10. The controller 14 of the welding-type system 10may then initiate a code download to the wireless remote control 46which uses the over the air (OTA) programming feature of the radioapparatus 54 to place a new code image into the wireless remotecontrol's 46 CPU 56. The wireless remote control 46 may haveapproximately 128 megabytes of memory which can hold software for aplurality of power sources 42 allowing one physical device (i.e., thewireless remote control 46) to control a plurality of welders 43, eachwith its own special user interface, thereby providing a uniformtraining environment to operators of the welding-type system 10. Thewireless remote control 46 may advantageously include a menu driveninterface 72 to replicate all functionality available on thewelding-type system. The interface 72 of the wireless remote control 46can match the interface of the power source 16, thereby replicatingfront panel controls of the welding-type system 10. Additionally, thewireless remote control 46 allows a small number of wireless remotecontrols 46 to be used on multiple welding-type systems 10 within aplant 300, for example, using secure communications, such as Miller tagunit variable (TUV) communications protocol.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a flow chart setting forth exemplary steps 200for connecting the wireless remote control 46 with the power source 16of the welding-type system 10 is provided. To start the process, thewireless remote control may transmit a wireless signal from the radioapparatus to the controller of the power source of the welding-typesystem, as shown at process block 202. The wireless signal is receivedby a control transceiver (not shown) of the controller, as shown atprocess block 204. Once the wireless remote control and the power sourceare in wireless communication, the controller can determine if thewireless remote control is programmed or has the most up-to-datesoftware installed, as shown at process block 206. If the wirelessremote control is not programmed, as shown at process block 208, thecontroller of the welding-type system may then initiate a code downloadto the wireless remote control. If the wireless remote control isprogrammed, as shown at process block 210, the wireless remote controland the controller of the power source may communicate via the radioapparatus. Once the setup process is complete, the wireless remotecontrol may access a plurality of welding parameters 212 (similar to thestatus data 112 of FIG. 4 ) by pressing one of the plurality of buttonson the wireless remote control, as shown at process block 214. Each ofthe plurality of buttons may be configured access one of the pluralityof welding parameters, as shown at process block 212, and displayed onthe graphic display.

The plurality of welding parameters, as shown at process block 112,provided by the welding-type system on the graphic display can include,but is not limited to, weld process mode (e.g., MIG, TIG, and/or stick),amperage and voltage, arc control, polarity, engine start/stop, enginestatus (e.g., on, off, auto-speed), engine speed, engine fuel level,engine hours/oil change interval, engine diagnostics, advanced enginediagnostics, location of power source 16 (e.g., via beeper and/orlights), weld presets, battery status, error codes, and data fromcurrent and past welding sessions. The wireless remote control maydownload any of the plurality of welding parameters 212 a singlewelding-type system 10 as shown in FIG. 1 , or from the plurality ofpower sources 42, as shown in FIG. 2 .

In addition, the wireless remote control may send/push, via the radioapparatus, any necessary software or firmware upgrades, updates, andfeatures from a remote file server (not shown) to the welding-typesystem. Likewise, software or firmware upgrades, updates, and featuresmay be sent from the welding-type system to the wireless remote control.Configuration of weld programs, profiles, locks and limits of thewelding-type system may be sent and/or received by the wireless remotecontrol. Notifications, such as e-mail or text message for example, ofthe plurality of welding parameters 212 of the welding-type system maybe sent to the wireless remote control.

The wireless remote control may control and configure any one of theplurality of welding parameters 212 remotely, as shown at process block216, via the plurality of buttons. As described above, the wirelessremote control provides a common interface for the user, allowing themto use over the air programming to configure and control the pluralityof welding parameters 212 of a plurality of power sources. As oneexample, the wireless remote control may use a find function provided byone of the plurality of buttons in order to identify a power sourcehaving an issue in the plurality of power sources. The find function canbe initiated by the user that would activate a beeper and/or lights, forexample, on the power source having issues so the user can easilyidentify the correct power source. As another example, the wirelessremote control may use an engine ignition management function providedby one of the plurality of buttons in order to remotely power down thepower source of the welding-type system and put it in sleep mode. Whenthe power source is in sleep mode, it may be started again through theengine ignition management function on the wireless remote control.

Once the wireless remote control has sent and/or received the desiredwelding parameters 212, the user may unpair or disconnect the wirelessremote control from the power source of the welding-type system, asshown at process block 218.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , an adapter board connector 400, to beimplemented into the welding-type system 10 of the present invention, isshown. The adapter board connector 400 may be used with any wirelessequipped welding-type system 10, such as a Trailblazer 325 EFI or Axcesswith Insight, for example. The adapter board connector 400 may use aZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) adapter board, for example, to serve as auniversal interface connector. The adapter board connector 400 uses aUART and a SPI connection along with two chip selects for the SPIconnection (allows either the radio or an on-board memory to beaccessed), two LED connections for testing or debug purposes, and aninterrupt signal.

Conventional adapter board connectors require the user to select all ofthe parts needed to make a radio system and place these in some logicalfashion on the same printed wiring board, for example, as used for themain control for the power source 16. If this approach is used, theboard requires re-design, thereby increasing costs for both there-design and testing. Alternatively, the user may use a tested andcertified modular radio transmitter, however this does not require thatthe host device be tested as though it were a radio (as would berequired in the first approach). This may result in significantlyreducing the risk of adding wireless communications. In this approach,the radio module would be attached directly to the host printed wiringboard and the host software would be written expressly and solely forthat radio.

In yet another alternative, the user may first define a connector schemewhich covers the majority of the use cases and then design an adapterboard to which on one side is mounted the mating connectors to the hostboard and on the other side is mounted any required components and theradio module itself. In this approach, two radios with differingphysical mounting patterns can each be placed on a unique adapter boardand each will connect to the same host without the host requiring anyhardware changes.

The adaptor board connector 400 of the present invention, however, maysignificantly decreases the hardware development effort for designsrequired to connect to a wireless network. Additionally, the adaptorboard connector 400 may reduce risk in manufacturing if a radiomanufacturer cannot meet deliveries, such that an alternate andqualified radio apparatus can be substituted with no change in hardware.Also, the radio design is effectively decoupled from the welding-typesystem 10 development. Basically, the adaptor board connector 400 allowsany variety of Certified Radio Modules to be connected to a welding-typesystem 10 without requiring the re-design and re-layout of printedwiring cards as radio modules are changed. In other words, the adaptorboard connector 400 is a ‘standard’ host Printed Wiring Board (PWB)connector with a standard size ‘adapter board’. The schematic and layoutof the adapter board may be designed for a custom one-to-one fit betweena specific radio apparatus and the standard connector. A memory devicemay be incorporated on the adapter board 400 so that a hostmicro-processor can read this memory to discover which radio apparatusis connected, thereby allowing the proper software drivers to be used tocommunicate with the radio apparatus.

Thus, a system and method is provided for using a wireless communicationterminal (WCT) through a terminal device and exchanging data between theremote welding-type devices and the terminal device. In addition, theinvention relates to a welding system whose operation is governed bycontrol signals transmitted by a wireless remote control. The wirelessremote control is configured to pair with the welding-type devices thatinitiate a code download to the wireless remote control. In this regard,an operator is able to quickly and efficiently control a welding systemfrom a remote location, regardless the make and model of the differentwelding-type devices that may be present at one location.

The present invention provides a remote control device that is easilyhandled by an operator and which can wirelessly control a plurality ofwelding processes. The present invention can eliminate the use of acommunications cord with a wireless remote device and, thereby, theproblems associated with high frequency electrical noise as describedabove. The wireless remote control also provides for many benefits andconveniences for an operator, such as reducing the inconvenience ofextra cables. In addition, the wireless remote that pairs with anywelding-type system with a single user interface increases operatorefficiency and decreases scheduled downtime.

The present invention has been described in terms of one or morepreferred embodiments, and it should be appreciated that manyequivalents, alternatives, variations, and modifications, aside fromthose expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of theinvention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A welding-type system comprising: acontroller configured to regulate welding operations for at least onewelder based on an operational parameter; and a wireless communicationsystem in communication with the controller, the wireless communicationsystem configured to: identify a terminal device capable of wirelesslycommunicating with the wireless communication system, identify a statusof the terminal device through wireless communication with the terminaldevice, and utilize an over-the air programming feature to initiate atransfer of data to the terminal device in response to the statusindicating a need for an update or upgrade, wherein the data includes acode image that enables the terminal device to provide the operationalparameter to the controller via wireless communication with the wirelesscommunication system.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operationalparameter comprises one or more of an oil parameter, an engine fuelparameter, an engine speed parameter, a battery parameter, a powersupply parameter, an engine start/stop parameter, an engine parameter,an engine control parameter, an advanced engine diagnostics parameter, aprocess mode parameter, an error code parameter, a voltage and currentparameter, an arc control parameter, and a polarity control parameter.3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system isconfigured to communicate using at least one of a ZigBee protocol, aBluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) protocol, a Bluetooth4.0 protocol, and a WiFi protocol.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein theoperational parameter comprises one or more of a command to remotelypower down the at least one welder, or a command to power up the atleast one welder.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal devicecomprises a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a remote control.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the code image comprises an update or upgradeto a software or firmware image of the terminal device.
 7. A system,comprising: a terminal device configured to provide an operationparameter; and a host, comprising: a controller configured to regulateoperations for the host based on the operational parameter, a radioapparatus in communication with the controller, the radio apparatusconfigured to: identify a status of the terminal device through wirelesscommunication with the terminal device, and initiate a transfer of datato the terminal device in response to the status indicating a need foran update or upgrade, wherein the data enables the terminal device toprovide the operational parameter to the controller via wirelesscommunication with the wireless communication system, and a host wiringboard and an adapter board connecting the radio apparatus to the hostwiring board, the adapter board having a memory device storing a type ofthe radio apparatus, and the controller configured to read the memorydevice and determine the type of the radio apparatus connected to thehost wiring board.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the terminal devicecomprises an adaptable control interface, and the terminal device isconfigured to adjust the adaptable control interface based on the data.9. The system of claim 8, wherein the terminal device is configured toadjust the adaptable control interface to replicate a front panelcontrol interface of the welding-type system.
 10. The system of claim 8,wherein the adaptable control interface comprises a plurality ofreconfigurable buttons.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the adapterboard is configured to receive any of a plurality of certified radiomodules.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the host comprises awelding-type power source.
 13. The system of claim 7, wherein theterminal device comprises a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a remotecontrol.
 14. A method for configuring a terminal device of awelding-type system, the method comprising: identifying a status of theterminal device through wireless communication between the terminaldevice and the wireless communication system; initiating a transfer ofdata to the terminal device in response to the status indicating a needfor an update or upgrade by utilizing an over-the-air programmingfeature, wherein the data includes an object file; and using the objectfile to enable the terminal device to provide an operational parameterto a welding-type device via wireless communication with thewelding-type device, the welding-type device being regulated accordingto the operational parameter.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein theoperational parameter comprises one or more of an oil parameter, anengine fuel parameter, an engine speed parameter, a battery parameter, apower supply parameter, an engine start/stop parameter, an engineparameter, an engine control parameter, an advanced engine diagnosticsparameter, a process mode parameter, an error code parameter, a voltageand current parameter, an arc control parameter, or a polarity controlparameter.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the operational parametercomprises one or more of a command to remotely power down the at leastone welder, or a command to power up the at least one welder.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the data comprises an update or upgrade to asoftware or firmware image of the terminal device.
 18. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the welding-type device comprises a welding-type powersource.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal devicecomprises a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a remote control. 20.The method of claim 7, wherein the operational parameter comprises oneor more of a command to remotely power down the at least one welder, ora command to power up the at least one welder.